In the quiet town of Carnesville, Georgia, a discovery on January 3, 2013, sent ripples of shock through the community and the online world. Keith Ratliff, a 32-year-old white male, was found deceased at his business on Hayes Road. He had been shot once in the head, and his death was ruled a homicide. Ratliff, a resident of Carnesville, had been living at his place of business, and it was friends who tragically found his body in an office and alerted the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
He was last seen alive on the evening of January 2, 2013.
Ratliff was a co-owner of FPS Industries, a company involved in the development and production of firearms. He was also intricately involved with the immensely popular YouTube channel FPSRussia, known for its videos showcasing a man with a Russian accent firing a wide array of powerful weapons. Ratliff's role was often behind the scenes, securing the impressive and sometimes rare firearms featured in the videos. The channel had amassed a massive following, with millions of subscribers and hundreds of millions of views, making Ratliff a significant figure in the online firearms community.
The investigation into his death brought together multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI. Investigators found numerous firearms at the scene, which was consistent with Ratliff's business, but none were immediately linked to his murder. A perplexing aspect of the case was the absence of forced entry, leading authorities to believe that Ratliff may have known and trusted his killer. This theory was echoed by his family, who stated that the ever-cautious Ratliff, who was always armed, would not have been easily ambushed by a stranger. Further complicating the investigation, it was discovered that surveillance equipment and some firearms were missing from the property.
As the investigation progressed, authorities explored various angles. The GBI stated they had no clear motive in the initial stages. In March 2013, federal agents searched the home of Kyle Myers, Ratliff's business partner and the star of the FPSRussia channel, though the details of what they were looking for remained sealed. Despite numerous interviews and an exhaustive investigation, the case grew cold. As years passed, law enforcement officials acknowledged the vexing nature of the crime, with a lack of evidence preventing any arrests. The GBI has periodically reminded the public that the case remains open and that they believe individuals with knowledge of the murder are out there. To this day, the death of Keith Ratliff remains an unsolved mystery, leaving his family, friends, and a large online community waiting for justice. No arrests have ever been made, and no suspects have been publicly named in connection with his homicide.
